Better Business Bureaus across Canada are welcoming the third annual BBB National Password Day Thursday. This is a reminder for all Canadians, whether they are a consumer or a business owner, to change the passwords to their online accounts to better protect personal and financial information.
Evan Kelly, BC Mainland's Communications Advisor for the Better Business Bureau says all of the website sign-ups and registrations tend to add up, increasing the risk of online theft. "The average computer user is going to have about 200 different accounts that they put information into. That's not to say those are 200 accounts that everbody's going to be using. You might only use a handful but the information is still there, sitting on the internet."
Kelly has a few recommendations for when you're swapping in new passwords on Thursday, March 15th. "Long and strong, that's what it comes down to. 8 to 12 characters in length using letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid using personal names and family names because these are things we input and tag people with on social media."
A few other ways to protect yourself from hackers on a day-to-day basis:
- Change passwords frequently - experts recommend two to three times a year at minimum - and be sure to never share your passwords with anyone
- Don't online shop on public wi-fi
- Avoid using password-saving pop-ups on your computer, even when you are at home.